Chapter 12 Review Clickers

The Cosmic Perspective Seventh Edition

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Natures, Orbits, and Impacts

Chapter 12

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Asteroids

a)  are rocky and small–typically the size of a grain of rice or a marble.

b)  are rocky, with a wide range of sizes, up to hundreds of miles in diameter.

c)  have only thin atmospheres. d)  are made mostly of metals. e)  are mostly found in the inner solar system.

Chapter 12

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Asteroids

a)  are rocky and small–typically the size of a grain of rice or a marble.

b)   are rocky, with a wide range of sizes, up to hundreds of miles in diameter.

c)  have only thin atmospheres. d)  are made mostly of metals. e)  are mostly found in the inner solar system.

Chapter 12

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If you keep pushing a person on a swing with little pushes, at just the right frequency, they will swing very high. This is an example of

a)  Newton's second law. b)  Newton's first law. c)  energy conservation. d)  resonance. e)  conservation of angular momentum.

Chapter 12

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

If you keep pushing a person on a swing with little pushes, at just the right frequency, they will swing very high. This is an example of

a)  Newton's second law. b)  Newton's first law. c)  energy conservation. d)   resonance. e)  conservation of angular momentum.

Chapter 12

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Orbits of asteroids in the asteroid belt

a)  often intersect the orbits of the planets. b)  are mostly between Mars and Jupiter. c)  are grouped into patterns by resonances with

Jupiter. d)  are mostly inside the frost line. e)  all except A

Chapter 12

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Orbits of asteroids in the asteroid belt

a)  often intersect the orbits of the planets. b)  are mostly between Mars and Jupiter. c)  are grouped into patterns by resonances with

Jupiter. d)  are mostly inside the frost line. e)  all except A

Chapter 12

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What is the best way to find the density of an asteroid?

a)  Look at its spectrum. b)  Study a sample of its matter. c)  Find an asteroid with a moon and use Kepler's

3rd law. d)  none of the above

Chapter 12

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What is the best way to find the density of an asteroid?

a)  Look at its spectrum. b)  Study a sample of its matter. c)  Find an asteroid with a moon and use Kepler's

3rd law. d)  none of the above

Chapter 12

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Most meteorites come from

a)  stars. b)  destroyed planets. c)  asteroids. d)  the Moon and Mars. e)  material ejected from volcanoes.

Chapter 12

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Most meteorites come from

a)  stars. b)  destroyed planets. c)  asteroids. d)  the Moon and Mars. e)  material ejected from volcanoes.

Chapter 12

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A typical meteorite is

a)  about the size of a house, and makes a crater when it impacts Earth's surface.

b)  about the size of a pea or grain of rice, and is invisible when it lands.

c)  about the size of a pea or grain of rice, and makes a bright streak in the sky as it burns up.

d)  about the size of a large city, and causes widespread destruction when it impacts Earth's surface.

Chapter 12

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

A typical meteorite is

a)  about the size of a house, and makes a crater when it impacts Earth's surface.

b)  about the size of a pea or grain of rice, and is invisible when it lands.

c)  about the size of a pea or grain of rice, and makes a bright streak in the sky as it burns up.

d)  about the size of a large city, and causes widespread destruction when it impacts Earth's surface.

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A meteor

a)  is a flash of light made by a falling meteorite. b)  is usually seen at night. c)  is a fragment of asteroid or comet that reaches

Earth's surface. d)  all of the above e)  A and B

Chapter 12

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A meteor

a)  is a flash of light made by a falling meteorite. b)  is usually seen at night. c)  is a fragment of asteroid or comet that reaches

Earth's surface. d)  all of the above e)  A and B

Chapter 12

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Primitive meteorites

a)  are approximately 4.6 billion years old. b)  give us clues to what the early solar system was

like. c)  represent samples of shattered worlds. d)  all of the above e)  A and B

Chapter 12

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Primitive meteorites

a)  are approximately 4.6 billion years old. b)  give us clues to what the early solar system was

like. c)  represent samples of shattered worlds. d)  all of the above e)  A and B

Chapter 12

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Processed meteorites

a)  are meteorites that have been altered in a lab for study.

b)  come from a parent body that was large enough to develop a core and mantle.

c)  may be metallic or rocky. d)  all of the above e)  B and C

Chapter 12

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Processed meteorites

a)  are meteorites that have been altered in a lab for study.

b)  come from a parent body that was large enough to develop a core and mantle.

c)  may be metallic or rocky. d)  all of the above e)  B and C

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Comets

a)  formed from planetesimals in the inner part of the early solar system.

b)  formed from planetesimals in the outer part of the early solar system.

c)  orbit the Sun and return time after time, for billions of years.

d)  have a single tail that streams out straight behind them.

Chapter 12

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Comets

a)  formed from planetesimals in the inner part of the early solar system.

b)   formed from planetesimals in the outer part of the early solar system.

c)  orbit the Sun and return time after time, for billions of years.

d)  have a single tail that streams out straight behind them.

Chapter 12

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The nucleus of a comet

a)  is made of rock. b)  is made of dust and ice, like a dirty snowball. c)  turns to gas when the comet nears the Sun. d)  All of the above e)  B and C

Chapter 12

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The nucleus of a comet

a)  is made of rock. b)  is made of dust and ice, like a dirty snowball. c)  turns to gas when the comet nears the Sun. d)  All of the above e)  B and C

Chapter 12

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If Earth passed through the tail of a comet, what would happen?

a)  People would die from the gasses such as methane and ammonia.

b)  Earth would be bombarded by large impactors. c)  Earth might be knocked out of its orbit or its axis

might get tilted. d)  A meteor shower would occur.

Chapter 12

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

If Earth passed through the tail of a comet, what would happen?

a)  People would die from the gasses such as methane and ammonia.

b)  Earth would be bombarded by large impactors. c)  Earth might be knocked out of its orbit or its axis

might get tilted. d)   A meteor shower would occur.

Chapter 12

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Why is there a meteor shower every year on Aug. 10, 11, and 12?

a)  Meteorites only enter the solar system on certain dates.

b)  Meteorites often have 1 year orbital periods. c)  Earth passes through the orbit of a comet and

hits the remaining debris at the same time each year.

d)  none of the above

Chapter 12

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Why is there a meteor shower every year on Aug. 10, 11, and 12?

a)  Meteorites only enter the solar system on certain dates.

b)  Meteorites often have 1 year orbital periods. c)  Earth passes through the orbit of a comet and

hits the remaining debris at the same time each year.

d)  none of the above

Chapter 12

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What is plasma (in astronomy)?

a)  an element commonly found in space b)  a constituent of blood c)  an ionized or charged gas made when atoms lose

one or more electrons d)  another name for the solar wind

Chapter 12

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What is plasma (in astronomy)?

a)  an element commonly found in space b)  a constituent of blood c)  an ionized or charged gas made when atoms

lose one or more electrons d)  another name for the solar wind

Chapter 12

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Why do comet tails always point away from the Sun?

a)  They are left behind as the comet moves. b)  Newton's third law: If the comet goes one way, the

tail must go the other way. c)  The solar wind blows them away from the Sun. d)  They don't; this is just a perspective effect of how

we view them.

Chapter 12

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Why do comet tails always point away from the Sun?

a)  They are left behind as the comet moves. b)  Newton's third law: If the comet goes one way, the

tail must go the other way. c)  The solar wind blows them away from the Sun. d)  They don't; this is just a perspective effect of how

we view them.

Chapter 12

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Every time a comet gets near the Sun, some of its material streams away in the tail. Shouldn't all comets be gone?

a)  yes b)  no, not that much material vaporizes c)  yes, but there are more comets stored in "deep

freeze" beyond Pluto d)  not yet, but they will all be gone sometime in the

near future

Chapter 12

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Every time a comet gets near the Sun, some of its material streams away in the tail. Shouldn't all comets be gone?

a)  yes b)   no, not that much material vaporizes c)  yes, but there are more comets stored in "deep

freeze" beyond Pluto d)  not yet, but they will all be gone sometime in the

near future

Chapter 12

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What is the "reservoir" of cold comets beyond Pluto called?

a)  the comet reservoir b)  The extrasolar system source c)  the Kuiper belt d)  the Oort cloud

Chapter 12

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What is the "reservoir" of cold comets beyond Pluto called?

a)  the comet reservoir b)  The extrasolar system source c)  the Kuiper belt d)  the Oort cloud

Chapter 12

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

What do astronomers think Pluto is?

a)  a major planet b)  a large Kuiper belt comet c)  an escaped moon of Neptune d)  an asteroid

Chapter 12

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

What do astronomers think Pluto is?

a)  a major planet b)   a large Kuiper belt comet c)  an escaped moon of Neptune d)  an asteroid

Chapter 12

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Why do some comets come from far out in space and from all different directions (i.e., not in the plane of the solar system)?

a)  They come from other solar systems. b)  They come from nebulae in interstellar space. c)  They come from a giant spherical cloud called

the Oort cloud. d)  They come from the Kuiper belt when a comet is

flung out by Neptune's gravity.

Chapter 12

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Why do some comets come from far out in space and from all different directions (i.e., not in the plane of the solar system)?

a)  They come from other solar systems. b)  They come from nebulae in interstellar space. c)  They come from a giant spherical cloud called

the Oort cloud. d)  They come from the Kuiper belt when a comet is

flung out by Neptune's gravity.

Chapter 12

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About how often is it estimated that an asteroid or comet impacts Earth with sufficient energy to cause mass extinction?

a)  once a millennium b)  once every million years c)  once every hundred million years d)  once in Earth's history

Chapter 12

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About how often is it estimated that an asteroid or comet impacts Earth with sufficient energy to cause mass extinction?

a)  once a millennium b)  once every million years c)  once every hundred million years d)  once in Earth's history

Chapter 12

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Surprising discovery? - A small asteroid that orbits within the asteroid belt has an active volcano.

a)  Plausible. Several small objects in the solar system have active volcanoes.

b)  Plausible. Several asteroids are known to be composed of basaltic material (lava).

c)  Implausible. Only planets, not moons or asteroids, have volcanoes.

d)  Implausible. Asteroids are too small to be geologically active now.

Chapter 12

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Surprising discovery? - A small asteroid that orbits within the asteroid belt has an active volcano.

a)  Plausible. Several small objects in the solar system have active volcanoes.

b)  Plausible. Several asteroids are known to be composed of basaltic material (lava).

c)  Implausible. Only planets, not moons or asteroids, have volcanoes.

d)   Implausible. Asteroids are too small to be geologically active now.

Chapter 12

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Surprising discovery? - A mission to Pluto finds that it has lakes of liquid water on its surface.

a)  Plausible. Other icy bodies at great distances from the Sun may also have liquid water on their surfaces.

b)  Plausible. Studies of Pluto's surface show a long, narrow feature that looks like a lake.

c)  Implausible. Water would be frozen at Pluto's temperature, and we know of no heating sources that would cause the water to melt.

d)  Implausible. Pluto is mostly made of rock and metals, not water.

Chapter 12

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Surprising discovery? - A mission to Pluto finds that it has lakes of liquid water on its surface.

a)  Plausible. Other icy bodies at great distances from the Sun may also have liquid water on their surfaces.

b)  Plausible. Studies of Pluto's surface show a long, narrow feature that looks like a lake.

c)  Implausible. Water would be frozen at Pluto's temperature, and we know of no heating sources that would cause the water to melt.

d)  Implausible. Pluto is mostly made of rock and metals, not water.